1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to an accessory for use with jet boats, in general, and to an improved fluid diverter for use with such boats, in particular.
2. Prior Art
There is a vast segment of the world populace which enjoys various types of water sports and water recreation. This activity includes the use of boats which are driven by an impeller enclosed in a pump housing and powered, in most cases, by V8 engines. In jet boats, water is pulled into the pump housing through an opening covered by a metal grate and forced out of the housing at the stern of the boat by a rotating impeller. These pump driven boats are referred to as jet boats. The recreation activity can be the use of the boat as a pleasure craft, per se, or as an integral part of the water activity. For example, jet boating can take the form of various kinds of racing. While point-to-point racing based upon "pure straight ahead speed" is one example of this sport, the vast majority of such racing takes the form of "closed course racing".
In this type of event, a specified course is laid out in a body of water. The course is usually marked by buoys or the like. This type of race course requires certain strategy with regard to the path or track which the racer follows. Part of the skill of the racer is in knowing how and when to corner in order to obtain the least amount of lost time and distance in navigating the race course. Of course, the racer must know his (or her) equipment and the performance capabilites thereof. Naturally, if one boat has superior characteristics, any racer can perform better therein.
In related activities, various forms of water skiing are performed behind such a jet boat. Such water skiing can be purely recreational or it can be competitiive in terms of jumping, slaloming, trick skiing or the like.
Jet boats have achieved popularity for several reasons. For example, they tend to be quite fast. Also, they have extremely shallow draft and can operate in shallow water primarily because the jet boat does not have a screw-type propeller. Rather, the jet boat has an inboard engine (e.g. a V-8 engine) which directly drives a rotating impeller. The impeller is mounted in a housing which has an opening for admitting water which is pushed or "impelled" out of a nozzle at the end of the housing. However, the conventional nozzle has limited steering capability and the impeller produces a definite spiral flow to the water being forced out of the nozzle. These effects hinder the capability of the jet boat.
Again, in the recreational activity it is highly desirable to have a jet boat with optimum operational characteristics doing the pulling. The speed of the boat as well as proper level in the water are functions to be considered. That is, when pulling a skier, it is desirable for the stern of the boat and the skier to be brought to a level plane in the water more quickly and, therefore, rapidly attain desired speed.
Furthermore, if the tow boat has different operating characteristics when turning right versus turning left, the water skier can experience a turning problem as well.
The problem of different left or right turning characteristics of propeller driven power boats is notorious due to the different reactions produced by the propeller on the water. Likewise, jet boats tend to have a similar problem due to the spiral effect of the water which passes through the impeller mechanism thereof.
One accessory which has attained popularity to date is a diverter with an up-down nozzle. This unit is sold and manufactured by Place Diverter & Controls of La Habra, Calif., and is referred to as a Place Diverter. This diverter is attached to the existing outlet flange of the conventional jet boat impeller housing. The diverter, essentially, replaces the standard equipment output and rudder.
While the Place Diverter is an adequate unit to assist in providing some of the advantages noted above, the Place Diverter still retains a number of drawbacks. For example, water passes through this unit in a spiral motion, which is generated by the jet boat impeller. The spiral motion seems to be emphasized by the configuration of the Place Diverter unit. Moreover, the Place Diverter unit produces an inordinate amount of drag on the jet boat due to the shape of the reverse outlet in the "open" condition That is, the known diverters cause the water which flows through the reverse outlet to be directed into the outlet path. This tends to create turbulence and, thus, drag on the boat. The prior art reverse outlet tends to structurally interfere with the normal outlet and/or to deflect the reverse outlet water flow into the normal outlet water flow because of the shape of the reverse outlet. For example, many such prior art devices are curved so that the reverse outlet water flow is almost caused to flow into the outlet unit.
Consequently, it is highly desirable to provide an improved diverter unit with a minimum of overall alteration of existing boats, diverter mountings and diverter controller systems.